


To Not Dance On One's Own

by HelloHeadquarters



Series: Cryptage Week 2020 [5]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Cryptage Week (Apex Legends), Fluff and Angst, M/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:33:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26783716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloHeadquarters/pseuds/HelloHeadquarters
Summary: Tae Joon catches Elliott dancing with his decoy. Its not funny at all.
Relationships: Crypto | Park Tae Joon/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Series: Cryptage Week 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1942780
Comments: 2
Kudos: 58





	To Not Dance On One's Own

**Author's Note:**

> Day 5 - Dance.

Everyone wanted a piece of him, which was pissing Tae Joon off no end because he had nothing left to give. He was exhausted, the whole week had been one thing after another, and he was now holed up in some awful motel on Solace fresh off the back of another tedious press conference in honour of Crypto.

Tae Joon was really starting to hate that guy.

He threw his bulky coat to the ground and sat on the end of the bed to wrench off his boots. Someone, somewhere would be so pissed to see him treating his gear that way but Tae Joon was annoyed enough to see it as a silver lining.

He threw himself back dramatically. He could hardly believe it had been a whole year of this shit. A year of running around, getting shot at and picking up the tattered remnants of his drone, of going through hell and literally fucking _into_ it that one time, but it was best not to dwell on that because it never helped his mood. Tomorrow the whole circus would start again, and Tae Joon was sorely tempted to reinvent himself all over again if it meant he didn't have to answer one more inane question about 'how he prepared for a match'. He didn't prepare, he just showed up and tried his best not to get killed.

He reached over for the remote and switched on the ancient television, just to give himself a distraction from his petulant thoughts.

The grinning features of Elliott Witt stated back at him from the screen and didn't help one bit.

Of course, the second a spotlight had been turned on Tae Joon, Witt had fluttered over like a moth to try and take some of it for himself. It made sense, Ajay had been roped into this bullshit too as the other member of his first ever squad, but she seemed just as dismissive of it as Tae Joon was. But Elliott, well, he was in his damn element, winking and smiling and generally being a smug bastard every time he spotted a camera pointed at him. 

It did at least take some of the focus from Tae Joon, but not enough that he could feel any sense of gratitude. 

His stomach growled in complaint and Tae Joon forced himself to admit that it was still early enough to hit the streets and scavenge for food.

But hell, Tae Joon Park might be dead and buried but Hyeon Kim was becoming a hot commodity, and he was in no mood whatsoever to deal with the Games fans. 

Grumbling to himself, he changed onto a less obvious outfit and ventured outside. 

-

Tae Joon hadn't spent a lot of time in Solace City. Most of his time on the planet had been committed to the small island that was King's Canyon and the sabotage there of. It was loud and dirty and vibrant, but just enough that he could lose himself amongst the crowds as he stalked through the streets looking for sustenance. 

It wasn't long before he found himself in front of the Paradise Lounge once again, his feet carrying him on the familiar path to Witt's monument to himself, and he sighed. The place held such awful memories, memories of being persecuted and hounded by people he had made the foolish mistake of cautiously believing might be his friends.

He went to turn away, but his attention was caught by a strange sight within. 

The bar was still closed to the public, but Tae Joon stepped closer to the window, curiosity getting the better of him as he peered through at the sight beyond. 

Multiple copies of Elliott were nothing new; Tae Joon was a member of a very full club that had been bamboozled more than once, but it was almost jarringly strange to realise how, out here away from the gunfire and the pressure of the ring, he could spot the real one. The Elliott that was solid and flesh, the one that walked amongst the holograms with a wistful look on his ridiculously handsome face.

He looked on, feeling indecent as Elliott eliminated the holograms one by one with a wave of his hand until at last it was just the trickster and an imperfect copy, smiling and winking on the dance floor.

He watched as Elliott glanced around nervously, before standing before the decoy and raising his hands.

They couldn't touch. To do so would be to undo the illusion but Elliott was as close as he could be as he raised his hands to hover just the smallest amount from the decoy's. With an odd sort of apprehension, the two began to move and Tae Joon was transfixed as he watched Elliott dance slowly, terrified with himself.

In the end it was this fear that forced Tae Joon's hand, this absolute certainly that Elliott refrained from getting to close, because just one touch would cause the hologram to disappear.

He gently rapped his knuckles on the door.

Elliott jumped, his startled movements bringing him too close to his decoy and making it shatter away into nothingness. Shame painting his features, he looked to the door and the look increased when he saw Tae Joon standing there.

Tae Joon pointed at the handle. Let me in.

Elliott did so slowly, clearly steeling himself for the slew of mocking he was certain Tae Joon was about to release upon him, but Tae Joon had no such plans.

Up until this moment he had never even considered, not for a single second, that a man like Elliott Witt could ever feel alone.

Elliott opened the door. "What do you want?" he demanded, desperately trying to pour some Mirage charm into his words but they both knew it was too late.

Tae Joon had never been very good with words himself, so he stepped inside, the sound of a slow song filling his ears, and held out his hand.

Elliott looked at it for a moment, frightened and suspicious, but Tae Joon, who had never known his heart could break like this, just stood his ground until finally Elliott reached out and curled his fingers around Tae Joon's own.

Without a word they began to move. Tae Joon had never been much if a dancer but Elliott seemed confident enough to lead as they swayed together. Tae Joon became suddenly aware of his own body, all clumsy angles and missteps, but Elliott righted him every time he went wrong without saying anything.

He couldn't help himself as he leaned closer to Elliott, the warmth and solidness of him speaking to something deep within Tae Joon's soul, an overwhelming need to not be alone anymore.

"Stop looking at your feet," Elliott murmured softly against his temple, sending a jolt of something through him he was too scared to name. 

Explanations, confessions, all of it didn't matter as they moved and Tae Joon found himself resting his forehead against Elliott's own, lost in the feeling of closeness with another person for the first time in so long.

After the fact, he never knew if it was he or Elliott who made the smallest movement, the gentlest nudge so their lips met softly in a nervous embrace. All he knew was that they both wanted this, both needed it as they kissed each other on the dance floor.

They continued to move, but Elliott's confidence was clearly eclipsing Tae Joon's own as he guided him over to the bar. Their kiss changed from soft to passionate, dancing forgotten as they clawed at each other with need.

Tae Joon felt his back connect with the edge of the bar as Elliott's hands began to move, letting go of him as he started to grab at Tae Joon's clothes instead. He moaned softly as Elliott moved his hungry mouth to his throat, and gave himself over, letting Elliott tear off his shirt as the music began to swell. 

He felt so lost and confused, but the only thing he knew for sure was that he wanted this, wanted Elliott as they tumbled against one another.

It wasn't long before they were both stripped down, and Tae Joon felt foolish and exposed as Elliott's fingertips traced the synthetics that lined his skin.

Elliott stopped for a moment, moving back enough that his warmth was missed and Tae Joon felt cool air against his exposed chest.

"I... I want..." Elliott began, but there it was again, the desperate, pleading loneliness, the frantic need for any kind of connection and Tae Joon felt it too, in long forgotten parts of himself, the parts that wanted love and to matter to someone else, to be whole again.

"Yes," he breathed out, and Elliott began to fumble with his pants, slipping his hands beneath the waistband as though he couldn't restrain himself.

"Elliott, please," Tae Joon whispered, and with that it seemed Elliott had all the permission he needed as he sank to his knees, freeing Tae Joon and taking him into his mouth.

The heat and wetness of it broke through some barrier in Tae Joon's mind and he only wanted this, wanted to feel good beneath Elliott's efforts and he gripped tightly on to the edges of the bar as Elliott worshipped him with lips and tongue. It was so strange, so bizarre. He and Elliott were barely even friends and yet here he stood, knees weak as Elliott did things to him he had never even fantasied about.

"Stop," he gasped, and Elliott did so without hesitation, looking up at Tae Joon, lips swollen and fear in his eyes.

"Are you-"

"Need you," Tae Joon managed to choke out. He was scared of the moment being over, of losing this feeling of closeness, of ruining it all too soon.

Elliott straightened up and kissed him again and he couldn't stop his own hands from roaming over Elliott's body, wanting to feel him, needing to.

He was so tired of being alone.

Elliott pushed against him, the kiss was far from tame and Tae Joon feared he was about to ruin it anyway. He had never felt so achingly needful, his desire breaking through his own selfish feelings and landing somewhere where it was this man, right now, that he wanted, and nobody else.

"Elliott," he said softly as Elliott responded by grinding himself against Tae Joon. He was close, and it was only the fear of what would happen when it was all over that was holding him back. "Please."

It could have been nothing. It could have been two people in need finding solace in each other for just a little while but then Elliott looked at him, really looked at him, and Tae Joon was suddenly overwhelmed. Whatever they were, whatever they had been, it was done. Finished. Because even after this Tae Joon knew he would crave Elliott in all his forms, just him, and the feeling snuck up on him like a punch to the gut as he realised he had been harbouring those kinds of feelings for longer than he thought.

He wanted it all. He wanted to spend days lying lazy beside Elliott, he wanted to kiss him and fuck him and love him and he wanted Elliott to know his real name.

He wanted so much it hurt, but more than anything he wanted Elliott to know that he was far from alone.

Elliott heard his pleas as though they were an order and rutted against him feverishly, whispering nonsense into the hollow of his throat as he came against him.

Tae Joon held him tightly as he shook out his release, the warmth of it tipping him over the edge and he called out the tricksters name in ecstasy. 

Panting and spent, they both folded into one another as they collapsed on the floor, reality flooding in like an unwelcome thing as they thought about what they had just done. 

Tae Joon had no words.

Elliott always did.

"Fucking finally," he muttered as Tae Joon composed himself.

"What?"

Elliott looked at him. "Almost a whole year and you still don't know what you do to me," he said with a wry smile.

Tae Joon looked down at them both, and the cooling mess between them. "I do now."

Elliott laughed like music. "Thank you," he said breathily.

"For what?"

"For dancing with me."

Tae Joon closed his eyes and rested his head back against the bar. "I like to dance with you," he said.

Elliott leaned over and kissed him. "I like it when you dance with me."

Tae Joon smiled and felt off, conflicted and happy and tired and content. This was far from a one time thing and he looked at Elliott and wondered what choice he would make if Tae Joon told him the truth, about himself and who he really was.

He looked at Elliott, past the smile he had spent years perfecting and to the eyes that could only ever be honest, and did a foolish thing.

He decided to hope for the best.


End file.
